Throwback – San Diego Chargers

The title Fearsome Foursome is handed down to only good defenses. Many associate the title with the Los Angeles Rams, but in the early 1960s that title belonged to the AFL San Diego Chargers. Earl Faison, Ernie Ladd, Bill Hudson and Ron Nery were its members. Earl was rookie of the year as a lineman. Ernie Ladd was literally the biggest, strongest guy in the AFL, and would later become a legendary heel in the WWWF (now WWE). Bill Hudson only played 3 years in the AFL, but he was traded to the Boston Patriots before the Chargers could make the AFL championship in 1963. The same goes for Ron Nery, who was traded to the Denver Broncos.

Speaking of championships, the Chargers have not made it to won the Superbowl ever. Yes, since the introduction of the Superbowl. Sticklers will tell me they won an AFL championship, but that’s not the same as the post merger, modern Superbowl.

Correction: The Chargers did make it to Super XXIX (29) in 1994. They lost to the San Francisco 49ers.

The San Diego Chargers marketing department did right by keeping the powder blue color and primary design elements from their bygone uniforms in the Nike uniforms used today. The blue used in the Chargers’ early years appeared darker. I believe it’s supposed to be the powder blue seen today but dyes and the fabric used on those early uniforms likely affected the color. Another prominent difference in modern Nike uniforms compared to the early 1960s uniforms was the scale of the lightning bolt. The 1960s uniforms had large lightning bolts that could almost wrap around the sleeve. It’s difficult to tell if the lighting points touched at the bicep/inner sleeve. Halos of perpetual lighting bolts around your arms sounds rad. Let’s stay with that.

Since I already channeled Ziggy Stardust in the Chargers’ initial eye shadow play, I decided to have the lighting bolts play a prominent role. Feel free to have your bolts point in a different directions if it’s more flattering for you. Bright winged cat eyes are already considered daring. What do we call this lightning liner, then? I know. Super charger liner. I am a got dam genius.